Learn about important figures in black history as we celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month

Frederick Douglass

1818–1895

Let us have no country but a free country, liberty for all and chains for none. Let us have one law, one gospel, equal rights for all, and I am sure God's blessing will be upon us and we shall be a prosperous and glorious nation.

From a slave to a statesman, Frederick Douglass used his rhetorical gifts to become one of the country's most famous abolitionists after escaping the confines of slavery. He shared his views and life story by publishing three versions of his autobiography, the first of which was Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845, along with several abolitionist newspapers including The North Star and New National Era. Douglass also was an advocate for woman's rights, held many political positions after the conclusion of the Civil War and was the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States in 1872.

“Negro History Week” was founded by African American historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. It was expanded to a full month 50 years later and became known as Black History Month. February was selected because it is the birth month of Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln.

Martin Luther King Jr

1929–1968

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most well-known, important figures of the Civil Rights Movement. The Southern minister was an influential leader and eloquent speaker who promoted non-violence in the face of the racial injustice that African-Americans encountered on a daily basis. Dr. King was thrust into the national spotlight during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and went on to help form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. At the historic March on Washington on August 28, 1963, Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. The following year, Dr. King was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize and saw the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 soon after. In 1968 during a trip to Memphis to lead his voice to the plight of the sanitation workers of that city, Dr. King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. took place on poet Maya Angelou's birthday on April 4, 1968. Angelou was a close friend of the family and stopped celebrating her birthday. Instead, she chose to send flowers to Dr. King's widow, Coretta, until Coretta's death in 2006.

Rosa Parks

1913–2005

People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired … the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

With the act of refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks became symbol for the racial inequality facing African Americans. The fall-out of her resulting arrest lead to a city-wide boycott of public buses in Montgomery, a movement which was organized by E.D. Nixon, the head of the local chapter of the NAACP, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott was hugely successful in moving the Civil Rights Movement forward and ended segregation on public buses in the city. Following this victory, Parks endured difficult times as she and her husband lost their jobs and eventually moved to Detroit where he found work at the congressional office of U.S. Representative John Conyer. Throughout her life, Rosa Parks continued to be active within the Civil Rights Movement and as a member of the NAACP.

The beginnings of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are rooted in Springfield, Illinois in 1908; however, February 12, 1909 was chosen as the official start date for the organization because it marked the 100th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth.

Brown v.the Board of Education

In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled that "separate education facilities are inherently unequal," and segregation was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The ruling was unanimous and paved the way for integration.

In 1967, Thurgood Marshall made history as the first African American appointed to the United States Supreme Court. He stepped down from the Supreme Court in 1991.

Jackie Robinson

1919–1972

Born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues in 1947, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Throughout his decade-long career with the Dodgers, Robinson made advancements in the cause of civil rights for black athletes. In 1955, he helped the Dodgers win the World Series. He retired in 1957 with a career batting average of .311. Robinson died in Connecticut in 1972.

Actress Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar. This occurred in 1940, honoring her for her work in Gone With the Wind.

Barack Obama

1961–

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

Born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Barack Obama has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights lawyer, teacher, and Democratic Senator for Illinois. In 2008, he became the 44th president of the United States, and the first African American to hold the nation's highest office. He won a second term in 2012. Among his acts as President, he signed into law an overhaul of the U.S. health care system with the Affordable Care Act, and repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" which prevented openly gay soldiers from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.